SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines

James Liebert; H. C. Harris; C. C. Dahn; Gary D. Schmidt; S. J. Kleinman; Atsuko Nitta; Jurek Krzesiński; Daniel Eisenstein; J. Allyn Smith; Paula Szkody; Suzanne Hawley; Scott F. Anderson; J. Brinkmann; Matthew J. Collinge; Xiaohui Fan; Patrick B. Hall; Gillian R. Knapp; Don Q. Lamb; B. Margon; Donald P. Schneider; Nicole Silvestri

doi:10.1086/378911

SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines

James Liebert, H. C. Harris, C. C. Dahn, Gary D. Schmidt, S. J. Kleinman, Atsuko Nitta, Jurek Krzesiński, Daniel Eisenstein, J. Allyn Smith, Paula Szkody, Suzanne Hawley, Scott F. Anderson, J. Brinkmann, Matthew J. Collinge, Xiaohui Fan, Patrick B. Hall, Gillian R. Knapp, Don Q. Lamb, B. Margon, Donald P. SchneiderNicole Silvestri

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Abstract

We discuss 18 white dwarfs, one of which (G227-5) was previously known, whose SDSS spectra show lines of neutral and/or singly ionized carbon. At least two and perhaps four show lines of neutral or singly ionized oxygen. Apart from the extremely hot "PG 1159" stars, these are the first white dwarfs with photospheric oxygen detected in their optical spectra. The photometry strongly suggests that these stars lie in the 11,000-30,000 K temperature range of the helium-atmosphere DB white dwarfs, though only one of them shows weak neutral helium lines in the spectrum. Trigonometric parallaxes are known for G227-5 and another, previously known white dwarf (G35-26) showing atomic carbon lines, and they indicate that both are massive stars. Theoretical arguments suggest that all members of this class of rare white dwarfs are massive (∼1 M _⊙), and this finding could explain the paucity of massive DB white dwarfs.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2521-2528
Number of pages	8
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	126
Issue number	5 1775
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/378911
State	Published - Nov 2003

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/378911

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Liebert, J., Harris, H. C., Dahn, C. C., Schmidt, G. D., Kleinman, S. J., Nitta, A., Krzesiński, J., Eisenstein, D., Smith, J. A., Szkody, P., Hawley, S., Anderson, S. F., Brinkmann, J., Collinge, M. J., Fan, X., Hall, P. B., Knapp, G. R., Lamb, D. Q., Margon, B., ... Silvestri, N. (2003). SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines. Astronomical Journal, 126(5 1775), 2521-2528. https://doi.org/10.1086/378911

@article{363f64b43a1b4494b0cc752249c6afcb,

title = "SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines",

abstract = "We discuss 18 white dwarfs, one of which (G227-5) was previously known, whose SDSS spectra show lines of neutral and/or singly ionized carbon. At least two and perhaps four show lines of neutral or singly ionized oxygen. Apart from the extremely hot {"}PG 1159{"} stars, these are the first white dwarfs with photospheric oxygen detected in their optical spectra. The photometry strongly suggests that these stars lie in the 11,000-30,000 K temperature range of the helium-atmosphere DB white dwarfs, though only one of them shows weak neutral helium lines in the spectrum. Trigonometric parallaxes are known for G227-5 and another, previously known white dwarf (G35-26) showing atomic carbon lines, and they indicate that both are massive stars. Theoretical arguments suggest that all members of this class of rare white dwarfs are massive (∼1 M ⊙), and this finding could explain the paucity of massive DB white dwarfs.",

author = "James Liebert and Harris, {H. C.} and Dahn, {C. C.} and Schmidt, {Gary D.} and Kleinman, {S. J.} and Atsuko Nitta and Jurek Krzesi{\'n}ski and Daniel Eisenstein and Smith, {J. Allyn} and Paula Szkody and Suzanne Hawley and Anderson, {Scott F.} and J. Brinkmann and Collinge, {Matthew J.} and Xiaohui Fan and Hall, {Patrick B.} and Knapp, {Gillian R.} and Lamb, {Don Q.} and B. Margon and Schneider, {Donald P.} and Nicole Silvestri",

year = "2003",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1086/378911",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "126",

pages = "2521--2528",

journal = "Astronomical Journal",

issn = "0004-6256",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "5 1775",

}

Liebert, J, Harris, HC, Dahn, CC, Schmidt, GD, Kleinman, SJ, Nitta, A, Krzesiński, J, Eisenstein, D, Smith, JA, Szkody, P, Hawley, S, Anderson, SF, Brinkmann, J, Collinge, MJ, Fan, X, Hall, PB, Knapp, GR, Lamb, DQ, Margon, B, Schneider, DP & Silvestri, N 2003, 'SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines', Astronomical Journal, vol. 126, no. 5 1775, pp. 2521-2528. https://doi.org/10.1086/378911

TY - JOUR

T1 - SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines

AU - Liebert, James

AU - Harris, H. C.

AU - Dahn, C. C.

AU - Schmidt, Gary D.

AU - Kleinman, S. J.

AU - Nitta, Atsuko

AU - Krzesiński, Jurek

AU - Eisenstein, Daniel

AU - Smith, J. Allyn

AU - Szkody, Paula

AU - Hawley, Suzanne

AU - Anderson, Scott F.

AU - Brinkmann, J.

AU - Collinge, Matthew J.

AU - Fan, Xiaohui

AU - Hall, Patrick B.

AU - Knapp, Gillian R.

AU - Lamb, Don Q.

AU - Margon, B.

AU - Schneider, Donald P.

AU - Silvestri, Nicole

PY - 2003/11

Y1 - 2003/11

N2 - We discuss 18 white dwarfs, one of which (G227-5) was previously known, whose SDSS spectra show lines of neutral and/or singly ionized carbon. At least two and perhaps four show lines of neutral or singly ionized oxygen. Apart from the extremely hot "PG 1159" stars, these are the first white dwarfs with photospheric oxygen detected in their optical spectra. The photometry strongly suggests that these stars lie in the 11,000-30,000 K temperature range of the helium-atmosphere DB white dwarfs, though only one of them shows weak neutral helium lines in the spectrum. Trigonometric parallaxes are known for G227-5 and another, previously known white dwarf (G35-26) showing atomic carbon lines, and they indicate that both are massive stars. Theoretical arguments suggest that all members of this class of rare white dwarfs are massive (∼1 M ⊙), and this finding could explain the paucity of massive DB white dwarfs.

AB - We discuss 18 white dwarfs, one of which (G227-5) was previously known, whose SDSS spectra show lines of neutral and/or singly ionized carbon. At least two and perhaps four show lines of neutral or singly ionized oxygen. Apart from the extremely hot "PG 1159" stars, these are the first white dwarfs with photospheric oxygen detected in their optical spectra. The photometry strongly suggests that these stars lie in the 11,000-30,000 K temperature range of the helium-atmosphere DB white dwarfs, though only one of them shows weak neutral helium lines in the spectrum. Trigonometric parallaxes are known for G227-5 and another, previously known white dwarf (G35-26) showing atomic carbon lines, and they indicate that both are massive stars. Theoretical arguments suggest that all members of this class of rare white dwarfs are massive (∼1 M ⊙), and this finding could explain the paucity of massive DB white dwarfs.

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U2 - 10.1086/378911

DO - 10.1086/378911

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0345742336

SN - 0004-6256

VL - 126

SP - 2521

EP - 2528

JO - Astronomical Journal

JF - Astronomical Journal

IS - 5 1775

ER -

SDSS white dwarfs with spectra showing atomic oxygen and/or carbon lines

Abstract

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